Following her Costa winning debut Asha and the Spirit Bird, this is another beautifully written story seamlessly blending authentic realism with other-worldly and supernatural elements which link to traditional mythology and give a real insight into different cultures. Narrated by the occasionally spiky and totally convincing Tamarind who was brought to England as a baby after her mother died and still knows nothing of her heritage. She has also just started secondary school and takes her father’s remarriage badly, especially when they leave her with her unknown relatives in India while they go off on a delayed honeymoon. The emotional upheaval of the following week in which she discovers her mother’s story and meets her ghost is a real crash course in growing up and reconciliation. The rural setting and the descriptions of family traditions and customs, which are are as new to Tamarind as they will be to many readers, are a real highlight of this engrossing and highly satisfying story.
From the author of the Costa Award-winning Asha & the Spirit Bird comes a breathtaking, magical adventure.
Tamarind never knew her Indian mum, who died soon after she was born. So when she arrives at her ancestral home, a huge mansion in the Himalayas surrounded by luxuriant gardens, she's full of questions for her extended family. But instead of answers, she finds an ominous silence - and a trickle of intriguing clues: an abandoned hut, a friendly monkey, a glowing star ring, and a strange girl in the garden who calls herself Ishta. Slowly, Tamarind unravels a mystery at the heart of who she is ...
The second novel by Jasbinder Bilan, author of the Costa Award-winning Asha & the Spirit Bird and a rising star in middle-grade fiction. Perfect for readers aged 9 and up - for fans of Kiran Millwood Hargrave.
A beautiful and emotional family drama lightly woven with magic, in a breathtaking Indian setting.
'I absolutely adored it ... an achingly beautiful story' Sita Brahmachari
'A lush, gorgeous setting in a novel as vivid and original as her Costa-winning debut.' The Guardian
'Beautifully written, richly atmospheric and touchingly spiritual, this brief novel sparkles like a polished gem' Daily Mail
Author
About Jasbinder Bilan
Jasbinder Bilan was born in India, close to the Himalayas, before moving to Nottingham as a child. She graduated from Bath Spa University and has gone on to write several books for children, winning a plethora of awards for her work. Her debut novel Asha and the Spirit Bird was awarded the Times/Chicken House Prize and the Costa Children’s Book Award, as well as being shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, longlisted for the Jhalak Prize and nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Jasbinder is also an active member of Authors4Oceans, an organisation campaigning to clean our oceans of plastic.
